Why do people love the Mixamp? Gee, let me think. Because it's awesome?

If that's all you can hear, then it's the same with NO MATTER what you use. Lol. Mixamp is just taking the Dolby Digital audio and matrixing it to DH. You're hearing the audio the games are putting out. Edited by Mad Lust Envy - 6/19/11 at 6:08pm

What are you playing with headphones + DH? What headphones? DH is VERY reliant on whatever headphone you use. If you use a closed headphone, DH won't work nearly as well as open. Some good headphones don't sound good with DH, like the M50. I've had almost nothing bad to say about any open headphone with DH though.

Also, you can't compare audio fidelity of stereo vs DH. In direct comparison, DH sounds echoey and like a concert hall effect. You have to get used to that, and then it will sound normal. The main reason to use DH is for the surround and positioning. Everything else will fall in place later.

Mostly, though not entirely true. The Edition 8 retains a huge soundstage with DH, though I don't know about the lower end S-logics.

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Originally Posted by Mad Lust Envy

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Originally Posted by ziocomposite

sounds like you are playing black ops lol

Seriously. DH also varies on the game you play. Black Ops is one such example of a game that won't do anything for DH. The older Modern Warfare and MW2 are MUCH better at demoing DH.

I still don't understand you guys and your audio issues with Black Ops. Yes, the game has an awful sound engine and files. However, soundwhoring itself is exactly the same in this game as it is in MW2, and I would know considering I logged over 700 hours into MW2 hardcore S&D.

HOWEVER: For this to be true, make sure you set the sound settings to Theater and quiet (more bass) or loud (less bass). The "surround headphones" is worthless, I used it at first too and had the same positioning issues.

As for the AD700+mixamp in Blops, it works incredibly well for soundwhoring,one of the best there is at any price. If you aren't getting superb positioning with it, try those sound settings, and if if you still can't soundwhore, there might be something wrong with the cans or amp.

S-Logic with the HFI-780+DH from the MixAmp pairs fairly well (okay, really well, at least to me, and I'm loath to use my A40s now). Not as good a soundstage as most open headphones, but better than some other closed cans I've tried (SRH750DJ, ATH-M50, Phiaton MS400).

As for volume on the MixAmp, the 780 runs around 10%, maybe. It's too loud on a most games' default sound levels, honestly, and I keep having to turn the volume in the games down pretty far to where it's comfortable. But if I turn the MixAmp volume down any further than the 10%, the sound over the headphones goes a bit wonky (either more or less in one earcup or the other). But if I'm using the A40 (still better for competitive FPS than the 780), the volume usually goes to just under 50% (there's also voice/mic volume being mixed in at that point, as well).

S-Logic with the HFI-780+DH from the MixAmp pairs fairly well (okay, really well, at least to me, and I'm loath to use my A40s now). Not as good a soundstage as most open headphones, but better than some other closed cans I've tried (SRH750DJ, ATH-M50, Phiaton MS400).

As for volume on the MixAmp, the 780 runs around 10%, maybe. It's too loud on a most games' default sound levels, honestly, and I keep having to turn the volume in the games down pretty far to where it's comfortable. But if I turn the MixAmp volume down any further than the 10%, the sound over the headphones goes a bit wonky (either more or less in one earcup or the other). But if I'm using the A40 (still better for competitive FPS than the 780), the volume usually goes to just under 50% (there's also voice/mic volume being mixed in at that point, as well).

Connection from the 360 is via optical.

Yea S-Logic works surprisngly well with DH. I expected it to be a mess, but my Ed8 soundstage and positioning w/ DH is not too far off from the T1 (still my favorite overall for gaming), which is pretty much the same story with stereo music.

How is it loud enough at just 10% on the mixamp though? That's very, very weird. Even with the easy to drive AD700 I think I had mine at 50%. Do you have the wired mixamp?

Yeah, it's a wired MixAmp. It could be 15%, but it is definitely far below 25%. I thought it was weird, too! I should go test it with other headphones to see if it's just my 780s or if the other cans I have are like that (I can't remember because it's been a while since I tried the others).

The wired Mixamp needs less on the knob than the 5.8, so you must REALLY like your volume low. I play with mine at about 70% with the game/voice at 50/50, and about 60% with the game/voice all the way towards game.

First off this is my first post and i wanna say i love your list it gives very good unbiased opinions, Right now i cant decide between getting Sennheiser HD 598 or the PC 360, but after reading you view and many people review of the Sennheiser HD 598 i think this is going to be the better choice, i just want to know whats a good Mic to go along with it ? Can you please give me a link to a couple of mic that a can clip on ?

I'd give the HD598 a SLIGHT edge over the PC360 for GAMING, but I'd take the all in one functionality of the PC360 over the micless HD598 any day of the week. If you're planning on mostly gaming, I suggest the PC360 for the ease of use. The PC360 is better balanced, while the HD598 has a slight emphasis on mids, with the bass being just a little weaker in comparison.

I'd give the HD598 a SLIGHT edge over the PC360 for GAMING, but I'd take the all in one functionality of the PC360 over the micless HD598 any day of the week. If you're planning on mostly gaming, I suggest the PC360 for the ease of use. The PC360 is better balanced, while the HD598 has a slight emphasis on mids, with the bass being just a little weaker in comparison.

PC360 is bass neutral
HD598 is slightly bass shy
DT880 is slightly bass heavy
K701 is slightly bass shy
HE4 is heavier in bass than the DT880
KSC75 is slightly bass heavy, though the KSC75's sound sig is a hard one to understand because it sounds different due to how it's placed, and our ear shapes. If you manage to get them closer to your ears, they will sound muffled and boomy (PX200 pads made them sound like typical bass heavy, detail lacking budget fi cans...dunno why anyone would mos them with those terrible pads). However, where they sit on my ears, they sound just balanced with some minor bass emphasis.

Those are the most balanced out of my recommendations, in that they're just shy or just heavy of balanced.Edited by Mad Lust Envy - 6/19/11 at 10:31pm

PC360 is bass neutral
HD598 is slightly bass shy
DT880 is slightly bass heavy
K701 is slightly bass shy
HE4 is heavier in bass than the DT880
KSC75 is slightly bass heavy, though the KSC75's sound sig is a hard one to understand because it sounds different due to how it's placed, and our ear shapes. If you manage to get them closer to your ears, they will sound muffled and boomy (PX200 pads made them sound like typical bass heavy, detail lacking budget fi cans...dunno why anyone would mos them with those terrible pads). However, where they sit on my ears, they sound just balanced with some minor bass emphasis.

Those are the most balanced out of my recommendations, in that they're just shy or just heavy of balanced.

How much distortion do you get with the PC360 w/ bass boost during the bigger impact moments? I know for instance in Rez HD when the ships are firing missiles right by me, with the bass boost and every can I tried there is like a full second of distortion.

I listen with game/chat audio at around 40% game/60% chat. The master volume is roughly around 40%. With the wired mixamp, anything below 30% creates a channel imbalance-- a huge one at that, and anything above 60% creates static. That's with the AD700. The DT990 600ohm can get away with game volume 100% and master volume at around 60%, though it's not driven as well as it could be.

How much distortion do you get with the PC360 w/ bass boost during the bigger impact moments? I know for instance in Rez HD when the ships are firing missiles right by me, with the bass boost and every can I tried there is like a full second of distortion.

I honestly don't use bass boost on the PC360 that often because I only wear them when I play competitively (asides from when I first got them). Now that I have nothing but them and the KSC75, I'll be sure to test it out more. I remember mostly playing Castlevania: Lord Of Shadows with the Bass Bost on and was thoroughly enjoying the sound off the PC360.